The attack was met with a condemnation by President Hamid Karzai, but also prompted anger from locals, not just for the Taliban launching the attack but for the security forces and 150,000 foreign occupation forces being unable to secure even the diplomatic portion of the capital city.

“You can’t even provide security in Kabul; how can you secure the whole country?” one local was quoted as saying. Officials largely shrugged off the attack, and repeatedly insisted that security in the country is still showing “progress.” The claims seem no more convincing today than they have been recently.